CAMPAIGN UPDATE #8
From 7am today, Monday 18 November, ANMF members have commenced protected industrial action across the four St Vincent’s Private Hospitals facilities in pursuit of a fair enterprise agreement that provides improved staffing levels, safer patient care and improved allowances and conditions.
On Tuesday 12 November, ANMF gave your employer the required three days’ notice for stage one protected industrial action. This action includes:
- wearing ANMF campaign T shirts
- handing out ‘Dear Patient’ letters about the campaign and discussing it with patients and their visitors
- writing letters to the editor, calling talkback radio
- posting about your campaign on social media
- administrative and data-collection bans
- a ban on the scanning, documenting or entry of any item related to billing clients
- taking the full period of all breaks
- a ban on overtime or working before or after your scheduled start/finish times
- a ban on redeployment from your home ward to another ward (or campus to campus)
- refusal to provide information regarding who is taking protected industrial action
The protected industrial action is designed to ensure patient health, safety and welfare are not at risk. The full list of actions on the protected industrial action ballot order is available via anmfvic.asn.au/StVactions.
Read today’s media release ‘Unprecedented: St Vincent’s Private Hospitals nurses and midwives start industrial action for safe staffing’.
Red campaign T-shirts
ANMF members wearing the iconic red nurses and midwives campaign T-shirt is a powerful display of solidarity when campaigning for safe staffing levels and fairer wages, allowances and conditions and should never be underestimated.
Organisers have been distributing the red T-shirts to Job Reps across St Vincent’s Private Hospitals facilities in preparation for today’s start of protected industrial action.
Please put on your campaign T-shirt before you go to work each day and wear it proudly until the end of your campaign. These T-shirts are to wear at work but also the supermarket, kids’ sporting activities, school pick up – everywhere – so the community knows about your campaign. If you don’t have a T-shirt, please speak to your Job Rep or contact your ANMF Organiser (see contact info below). ANMF staff will be visiting facilities every day this week and next.
Protected industrial action 6 – bans will include EMR platform, MEDITECH Expanse
Members have sought ANMF advice on whether their protected industrial action includes implementation of the EMR platform, MEDITECH Expanse.
ANMF can confirm that there is a ban on the implementation of, the transfer of data to or any 1:1 training in relation to Implementation of EMR platform, MEDITECH Expanse at St Vincent’s Private Hospitals. Please refuse to do any work or training associated with implementation from 7am, Monday 18 November.
Item 6 states: A refusal to implement a major change to production, program, organisation, structure, or technology in relation to its enterprise and the change is likely to have a significant effect on employees of the Employer proposed by management, subject to the discretion of the ANMF Branch Secretary in circumstances where the Secretary is satisfied that if the change did not proceed, it may negatively impact on staff or patient safety.
Protected industrial action item 5 – recording start and finish times clarification
ANMF has advised St Vincent’s Private Hospitals on Friday 15 November 2024, after they expressed concern about an administrative ban on the recording of patient entry and exit times from theatre:
Subject to ANMF confirming that it is a legal requirement by health regulatory authorities (as opposed to a legal requirement for insurers) for a nurse to enter start and finish times data, ANMF advises in the interim that members should record the entry and exit of patients to theatre in the MR 48 form but not translate that to the IBA computer system.
Item 5 states: A ban on administrative tasks including, but not limited to, the: collection and/or entry of any data (that is not required by law to be entered into the patient record or related directly to patient or staff safety) and a refusal to record, collect or complete data required by the employer.
- A ban on noting or documenting start and finish times of consultations or procedures.
- A ban on the completing of any paperwork or electronic forms other than that directly related to the documenting of patient care.
- A ban on the scanning, documenting or entry of any item related to billing of clients.
Protected industrial action item 16 – work-related phone calls clarification
ANMF has advised St Vincent’s Private Hospitals on Friday 15 November 2024 after they expressed concern about a ban or limitation on work-related phone calls:
Members will continue to take calls when rostered on call and in the ward environment. It was not intended that the taking of phone calls by nurses needing to take calls (those rostered on-call or NUMs/ANUMs, nurses/midwives at the ward nurses’ station) would refuse to pick up the phone. This ban is primarily intended for calls when members are outside the work environment (and not on call).
Item 16 states: A ban or limitation on any response to any work-related emails, telephone calls or other communication from St Vincent’s Hospitals Ltd, unless the email is directly related to patient or staff safety.
Information for senior nurses and midwives about protected industrial action
Unfortunately, most nurses and midwife managers do not receive training regarding their rights and obligations during industrial action disputes.
Remember: protected industrial action is legal and always eventually ends.
ANMF’s Information for senior nurses and midwives flier explains how to ensure working relationships remain intact and enable the parties to work together cooperatively after the campaign ends. Read via anmfvic.asn.au/seniornm.
Campaign resources
Further campaign resources have been distributed to members last week and are available on the ANMF website, including the Dear Patient letter, Nurses and Midwives Speak Out flier, Information for senior nurses and midwives and How to implement the social media work ban guidance via anmfvic.asn.au/stvprivresources.
Got a campaign inquiry?
If you need to get in touch with your ANMF Organiser please contact them via records@anmfvic.asn.au.
St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Fitzroy –
Mim Harrison (relieving for Mitch Hoover)
St Vincent’s Private Hospital, East Melbourne –
Mim Harrison (relieving for Mitch Hoover)
St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Kew –
Jodi Dowler (relieving for Narelle Hayes)
St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Werribee –
Mim Harrison (relieving for Mitch Hoover)
